Just another update. I decided to purchase a 5 gallon pail of the Iron Coat. In the past when I ordered The Blue Max I had to order through a smaller hardware chain. This time I went through Home Depot as I was able to get it delivered.
I had 8 sheets of 1/2 plywood that I sanded, sprayed with Behr Ultra pure white, sanded again and then sprayed with the Ames Iron coat.
I was hopeful that the product would have a paint like consistency. I found some reviews online that confirmed this. I was concerned that my Graco x7 airless paint sprayer would have some trouble with a thicker consistency. I was happy to hear the sloshing of the contents when I first moved the box during delivery. The first thing I noticed was that the top of the pail didn’t include a smaller screw top for easy access for sprayer supply and return lines. It wasnreally a deal breaker but it did prove to be an obstacle.
The product passed easily through my sprayer. I had to adjust the amount of product as it sprays slightly thicker than the paints I’m used to.
The most nerve wracking part was seeing the initial surface texture of the product after spraying.
I was a little freaked out but figured I was too far into it to turn back. I sprayed 3 sheets and prepared to let those dry. Here’s where the lack of a top lid access became an issue. I knew I was going to spray again but I wanted to avoid taking the hoses out of the product and into a bucket of water to avoid a mess and drying out. On the other hand I didn’t want to chance leaving the bucket of Iron Coat open and chance debris falling in or a skin forming on top of the product in a warm garage. I ended up taking a few pieces of plastic wrap and covering the bucket around the hoses.
After A half hour or so I checked on the drying. Much to my surprise the product was starting to smooth out as time passed.
After a couple of hours I was able to move the first three sheets and spray another 3.
As I was checking out the dried surface I noticed small bits of something that catch the light. I’m wondering if these are the additives that Ames advertises are in the product to help to bond to metal. My other suspicion is that the flakes are present to aid in the reflective property of the product.
So far I’m very pleased with the product and I’m excited to see how well it reflects in the rooms. I’m not saying it will be a game changer but so far it boasts the possibility to be reflective without being a metallic finish, waterproof, and mold/mildew/fungus resistant, all while allowing me to seal and rubberize my rooms.
One last note. I was doing to comparisons tonight and realized that this product is very competitive with other sorts of paint. 5 gallons of Behr Ultra pure white is listed at $147 while Ames Iron Coat is $179.00. For me, the benefits of the product are well worth the extra $32 . I may change my tune as time passes but I’ll keep updates if anyone is curious
